Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Totilas and Mathias performed at the Shockemohle stallion show a few days ago, and they'll be out and about again on Feb. 13. Reportedly they will compete for the first time in May. Source: Horsetalk NZ.

There's been a lot of "buzz" around the Internet about this video. While I do not think Totilas shows the same startling brilliance he did when Gal competed him, it also looks as if he is getting "softer" in his body. And, he is a little more open in the throatlatch. Could be there is some retraining going on that might well benefit the horse.

I still do not see an equal "come through" from behind on the extensions. The front legs fly forward and the hind end just seems to be about the same. But that was, always, to a degree the same when he was winning, so what do I know?

It will be interesting to see what happens once they go out to compete. There is a ton of pressure on Mathias, of course, but he looks to be up to it.

No matter what, it's going to generate a lot of controversy in the dressage community.

I have never seen evidence that Totilas seems happy in his 'work.' And he doesn't seem happy here either. Combined with that grim music the whole thing just makes me sad. That is not what I aspire to in any way in my ongoing study of dressage or my rides on my horses. For me, brilliance has joy in it. There is none of that in what I see of Totilas.

I agree with the legs thing. I watched a video 2 days ago and his front end was brilliant but his hind end seemed to lag and not be engaged well. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about but thats what I noticed. And why does it look like they are always passaging or piaffing? He never seems to just trot. Or is that his normal trot, lofty and such?Still though, love the horse and I was saddened to hear Gal wasn't his rider anymore. Don;t know anything about this new guy but he seems competent.

I am so excited to see new footage of Totilas! Thank you for posting. More than anything I am happy to see his new rider seems to very soft and tactful. Totilas looks spectacular as always. I agree with Jean about him looking a little softer through the throatlatch area, I feel like to me (IMHO) he looks to be carrying himself more and not so stuffed up into the bridle. Gorgeous. Love this horse!

Im sorry, but the over exaggeration on the front with nothing backing it in the rear just does not impress me at all, and I have felt that way about this stallion as long as he has been competing. Not the impression of dressage that I like or belive in.

completely OT, but are you posting your Secretariat contest results?you said you would on the 1st, but it was about Paragon and Heather Blitz.I'm a daily reader, so I don't think I missed it, but I might have.

Okay I'm not trying to be snarky at all but can someone please pick this video apart for me? I'm an amateur and I'm still trying to learn what's 'right' in dressage. To me it looked like he wasn't using his back. He seemed stiff. In the canter his rear legs seemed strung out behind him. In the extended trot there was no lengthening in the rear, he just kicked his front legs out. Where are the even Vs?? Is this what dressage has become? Or am I missing something? I didn't see any relaxation or swinging. He just seemed stiff and like his front and rear weren't even. Anyway, thanks for any pointers you more experienced dressage riders can give.

It would be very interesting if you reposted the video from March of 2010 of Dainira van de Helle, the beautiful dressage mare, for comparison. Her movements are not nearly as dramatic as Moorlands Totilas', and she doesn't achieve the same loft at the piaffe. But it is extremely enjoyable to watch her and even restful, and I think it's because she looks so relaxed. Reiner Klimke's gold medal ride affects me the same way.

I never feel restful watching a Totilas video, I must say, but to be fair, the music they chose for his ride sounds like it came from some Soviet-era propaganda film.

The music is from one of the new batman movies. I think it suits Toto remarkably well, but I keep feeling like I'm watching Rath on a schoolmaster more than anything. Hopefully, he'll catch up in time to make Toto look brilliant in competition again.

I have some video from the WEGs that I took and he definitely looks stiffer here (especially in the second canter pirouette) and his front seems to be kind of getting away from him - I thought he might kick himself in the face in a few of those whoops canters there! That having been said, I think a lot of it can be chalked up to horse and rider figuring each other out still. I think some of those whoops transitions may be Mathias asking for more engagement of the back end and Totilas is just blowing out the front. I'd love to see some video of him just hacking out, to see how he moves when he's not in the middle of a test. I did like how the rider seemed to be patting him during the free walk.

I'm glad I'm not the only person that noted that his hind end doesn't seem as engaged in his extended work as it does in his collected work. I feel that his piaffe is one of the lovliest I've ever seen (both in this video and live at WEG) but his extended trot is definitely a bit lacking.